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Canvas, the online learning platform used by thousands of schools and universities across the U.S., suffered a widespread outage Thursday after hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on parent company Instructure. The disruption affected major institutions including Harvard and the University of Michigan during final exam season, as well as school districts in California, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin, though most users regained access later in the day. Instructure said Canvas was operational again for most users, although some testing services remained offline. ShinyHunters claimed it accessed data belonging to more than 275 million people across nearly 9,000 schools, threatening to release additional information unless Instructure responds by May 12. The group said the stolen data includes personal information such as names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and Canvas messages. Instructure disclosed a cybersecurity incident on May 1 and said forensic experts were investigating. The company stated there was no evidence that passwords, financial information, government IDs, or birthdates were compromised, and said the breach had been contained by May 2. The hacking group briefly posted ransom messages directly on student Canvas pages before those notices were replaced with maintenance alerts. ShinyHunters has previously targeted major companies including Ticketmaster, Microsoft, and AT&T, and has recently focused on education-related organizations.

 

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 exas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into 29 school districts, including Austin, Dripping Springs, and Lake Travis ISDs, over compliance with state laws requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms and mandatory school board votes on voluntary in-school prayer. The inquiry focuses on Senate Bill 10, passed in 2025, which mandates schools display donated Ten Commandments posters, and Senate Bill 11, which requires districts to hold votes on allowing prayer time during the school day. Lake Travis ISD said it is prepared to comply with the display law once posters are received, and confirmed its board voted against in-school prayer earlier this year. The investigation marks the third time Austin ISD has come under scrutiny from Paxton in 2026, following probes into student immigration-related walkouts and alleged violations of the state’s transgender bathroom law. Several districts under investigation were involved in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments requirement. Last month, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the law does not violate the Constitution, overturning a lower court decision, although the case could still reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

Austin American-Statesman

School districts across the U.S. are scaling back classroom technology use after spending billions on laptops, tablets, and educational software during the pandemic, amid growing concerns about student attention spans, academic performance, and excessive screen time. Schools spent between $15bn and $35bn in federal pandemic relief funding on education technology between 2020 and 2024 according to the Edunomics Lab, and by last school year, 88% of public schools reported providing every student with a device. However, at least a dozen states have since proposed or adopted policies limiting in-school screen time, including restrictions on virtual instruction and device use for younger students. Districts in Los Angeles, Utah, Iowa, Missouri, and Tennessee are among those introducing new rules or reconsidering classroom technology practices after pressure from parents and educators. Critics argue that school-issued devices can distract students, weaken focus, and contribute to mental health and developmental concerns, while some studies suggest digital learning tools offer limited academic benefits compared with traditional methods. Supporters of classroom technology say digital tools improve access to learning, personalize instruction, and prepare students for modern workplaces. Education leaders increasingly describe the current shift as an effort to refine and better manage technology use, rather than abandon it entirely.

 

Washington Post

A major new report on California’s K-12 education system says the state’s long-standing emphasis on local control has contributed to uneven student performance and unclear accountability, urging stronger state oversight to improve consistency and outcomes across schools. The 1,000-page “Getting Down to Facts” report, compiled by more than 100 education researchers, found that California schools have made significant progress over the past two decades, including higher reading and math scores, more equitable funding, and successful programs such as transitional kindergarten, after-school initiatives, and community schools. However, researchers said the state’s decentralized governance structure, where authority is shared among the governor, Legislature, state superintendent, state board, and local districts, has made it difficult to scale successful programs statewide and close achievement gaps. The report highlighted the impact of the Local Control Funding Formula, which shifted funding decisions to local districts more than a decade ago, but said the approach has created inconsistencies in how resources and programs are implemented. Researchers recommended giving the state more authority to require proven curricula, expand tutoring and counseling programs, and improve teacher recruitment and retention. The report also backed efforts to streamline administrative workloads and reduce unnecessary paperwork.

 

CalMatter

As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches, history teachers across the U.S. are striving to make the nation's founding documents relevant to today's students. Karalee Wong Nakatsuka, a history teacher in California, emphasizes the importance of discussing the Declaration's ideals, stating: “From the beginning, we talk about the Declaration.” However, educators face challenges in a politically divided climate, with many feeling pressure to navigate sensitive topics carefully. A recent survey revealed that over half of teachers find teaching civics difficult, with nearly 20% experiencing backlash for their lessons. Despite these challenges, about 80% of teachers prioritize the Revolutionary period and founding documents in their classrooms, aiming to foster a deeper understanding of history among students.

 

U.S. News

New Jersey’s April school board elections drew just 4.07% voter turnout this year, renewing concerns over whether the low-participation contests justify their cost and administrative burden. Only 15,699 of more than 386,000 registered voters cast ballots across the 13 remaining school districts that still hold elections in April rather than during November general elections. Most New Jersey districts moved school board elections to November after a 2012 law change aimed at boosting turnout and reducing election expenses. Election costs for the remaining April districts ranged from roughly $10,000 to nearly $30,000 this year, depending on the municipality. School officials cited several operational complications tied to April elections, including compressed budget timelines, school security concerns on election day, and additional administrative responsibilities now handled directly by school districts rather than county election offices. Some administrators and board members argued April elections once allowed voters to weigh in directly on school budgets, but a 2024 state law largely removed public budget votes unless districts seek tax increases above the state’s 2% cap.

 

New Jersey Herald

Schools and universities are rapidly moving beyond traditional security tools such as cameras, locks, and alarms toward integrated, AI-enabled platforms that provide real-time monitoring and faster responses to potential threats. Modern campus security systems now combine video surveillance, access control, environmental sensors, and visitor management into unified platforms that allow staff to monitor activity more efficiently and coordinate responses across campuses. AI-powered systems can identify unusual behavior, detect propped-open doors, and surface relevant video footage without requiring staff to constantly watch screens. Education leaders are increasingly prioritizing systems that act as “force multipliers,” helping campuses manage security with limited personnel and resources. Real-time alerts and centralized interfaces are replacing older, reactive systems that were mainly used to review incidents after they occurred. However, experts caution that technology alone cannot guarantee safety. The effectiveness of security systems still depends heavily on staff training, cross-department coordination, long-term maintenance funding, and clear operational procedures. Security consultants warn that some schools adopt technologies based on available grants rather than comprehensive safety planning, creating challenges around sustainability and upkeep.

 

EdTech Magazine

More than half of Big 12 member schools are opting not to use a new private-equity-backed line of credit worth up to $30m per institution under the conference’s recent agreement with RedBird Capital Partners and Weatherford Capital. Texas Tech, Iowa State, Colorado, Kansas State, and Arizona confirmed they will decline the financing option, joining Baylor, Cincinnati, Houston, TCU, UCF, and West Virginia, which have also said they are holding off for now. Kansas has not yet decided, while several other schools have not publicly commented. The broader deal, approved last week, includes a $12.5m investment into the Big 12 conference, a commercial partnership with RedBird to help generate new business opportunities, and optional credit lines for individual schools. If every school participated, the arrangement could total as much as $500m. Schools choosing to access the funding would repay the loans through deductions from future conference revenue distributions under a fixed repayment schedule. Several universities said they support the overall partnership despite declining the credit option, citing caution or a lack of immediate need for additional financing. RedBird said the agreement is intended as a long-term commercial partnership rather than a short-term funding mechanism, adding that schools will have one year to decide whether to participate as the college athletics landscape evolves. The deal reflects growing private-equity interest in college sports, following other recent investments across the sector, including TPG’s acquisition of a controlling stake in Learfield and prior investment discussions involving the Big Ten and UC Investments.

 

USA Today

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Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) has outlined a proposal to become a charter school authorizer, with plans to evaluate schools based on academic growth, discipline practices, attendance, enrollment targets, and financial performance. The district submitted its application materials to the Indiana Department of Education last week, marking the first step toward gaining authority to approve and close charter schools. IPS said the move would strengthen local accountability at a time when the district is losing some governance powers under recent state legislation. Under the proposal, charter schools would be judged using many of the same academic, financial, and governance metrics already applied to IPS Innovation Network schools. Performance measures would include student growth and proficiency on Indiana’s ILEARN exams, subgroup achievement, a 90% IREAD pass rate target, 95% attendance goals, and suspension rates intended to encourage equitable discipline practices. Although Indiana law permits charter renewals of up to 15 years, IPS plans to limit renewal terms to a maximum of five years. The district estimates its authorizing office would launch in August with an annual operating budget of roughly $561,000.

 

Chalkbeat

Miami-Dade County Public Schools is relaunching its AI-powered BusPatrol school bus camera program after a suspension due to due process concerns. The program, which uses cameras on nearly 900 school buses to detect illegal passing, will now operate under new oversight. Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz emphasized the importance of accountability and transparency, stating, “My focus from this point on is ensuring this child safety program operates with accountability, transparency, and a clear commitment to public trust.” The program resumed on May 4, starting with a two-week warning period before live enforcement begins on May 18, with violators facing a $225 civil penalty. Dr. Jose L. Dotres, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, expressed confidence in the program's role in protecting students, noting that stop-arm enforcement is “statistically proven to change driver behavior.”

 

School Bus Fleet

A Better Chicago has launched a five-year, $10m initiative aimed at reducing chronic absenteeism among Chicago Public Schools students, particularly on the city’s South and West sides. More than 40% of CPS students were chronically absent during the 2024–2025 school year, missing at least 10% of school days. The nonprofit warned that students who remain chronically absent throughout their K-12 education could lose the equivalent of up to two years of learning. The initiative, called “Every Day Counts,” will focus on neighborhoods with the highest absenteeism rates, including Austin, Englewood, Garfield Park, South Lawndale, South Shore, and Woodlawn. Funding will support partnerships between schools and community organizations aimed at improving attendance, student engagement, and a sense of belonging. The program will prioritize prevention strategies for younger students and targeted support for high school students already struggling with attendance. Organizers said reducing absenteeism will require a broader citywide effort involving schools, families, community groups, employers, faith leaders, and policymakers.

 

Chicago Sun Times

Nova Scotia’s regional centers for education will reduce 150 positions as part of a government effort to achieve administrative cost savings, with critics warning the changes could weaken student support services. Education Minister Brendan Maguire said 47 positions will be eliminated through attrition, while other staff, including teachers in specialist and administrative roles, will return to classroom teaching. The province says the changes are intended to strengthen student outcomes and address shortages of math, science, and French teachers. The cuts are tied to a provincial requirement for regional education centers and other public sector bodies to reduce administrative costs by 3% annually over the next three years. Opposition leaders criticized the move as an austerity measure disguised as reform. NDP Leader Claudia Chender said there is no evidence the reductions will improve student outcomes, class sizes, or access to in-school supports, while Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin argued that coaching and specialist positions are essential to improving educational performance.

 

CBC News